Month: March 2017

I look gigantic, strong and majestic. When I walk down the streets of my city, or carry a bunch of these tiny little humans on my back, I can see a sense of excitement in every pedestrian’s eyes. When I slowly pass through the busy roads of walled city, with the towering Hawamahal on my left, I see locals and tourists pointing their smart phones at me and clicking pictures after pictures.

You will see me everywhere in pink city- during the long walks to and fro Amber Fort, royal wedding processions wouldn’t move without me, I have been riding the princes for ages now, and not just this, you will see my deities and structures in all the significant places viz. temples, forts, monuments etc. Every year midst all the weddings, processions, tours & long walks in scorching summers, there used to be one day when I wasn’t vehicle, one day when people would turn their heads away from the colossal forts and palaces, when their eyes were not fixated on their beloved, the one day when all the eyes were gazing at one person – me.

Queen Elizabeth with Maharaja of Jaipur took an Elephant Ride in the year 1960

Just like you look at a dull sky every day, but admire its true beauty when it is suddenly splashed by the seven colors of rainbow, my monochromatic grey body was suddenly bedecked and wrapped in beautiful colors. That day was the Elephant festival.

As I walked inside the vast stadium of my city, I felt like a queen walking royally with a beautiful curvy body, the musical sound of my tinkling anklets alerting everyone, and a silver elegant cloth with red border covering my saddle. My pristine white tusks are covered with bracelets and rings,my head embellished with heavy jewellery and I think all the other ladies were looking at me for inspiration and men for obvious reasons. One moment I felt like a model in a beauty contest and in another, like a bride walking down the aisle. I closed my eyes and the flashback began.

The process of painting our bodies with all kinds of colors in the world began almost a month before Holi. My guardian (Mahaut) would wake me up, clean me and I could see a different kind of twinkle in his eyes. I would look around and see my fellow friends being cleaned and bathed like it was the first day to school after a long summer vacation. The next moment, some new men started to paint me in vivid colours. This went on for days and days and then came our D-day. The one where I was both excited and nervous.

I opened my eyes to the reality, to the hugeness of the Chaugan stadium, and later at Ram Bagh Polo Ground and saw a little human sitting on another elephant throwing a fist full of colour at me. It did not stop here. We went around playing various games such as running; pulling, tugging and I also won a pageant that day. I felt important, celebrated, and completely oblivious to the fact, that this will be my last time here.

My mahaut still wakes me up, bathes me, cleans me occasionally and dresses my saddle with the regular red cloth. But I still miss that special day, when I would meet my friends, the brown camels and black horses, watch the humans laughing, playing and running, and when I felt like one of the most beautiful animals in the world, on the joyous festival of Holi.

Facts –

Elephants, that symbolize royalty according to the traditions of Rajasthan, had been a part of the world famous Holi Festival organised by Rajasthan Tourism Dept. that took place in Jaipur since ages.

Elephants, along with horses, camels, were painted in vivid colors and bedecked with heavy jewellery to make them look stunning. This festival attracted thousands of locals and tourists and Rajasthan tourism experienced a major boost during Holi.

In 2013, the Elephant Festival was officially discontinued the Dept of Tourism, Govt of Rajasthan and replaced by the ‘Holi Festival’ which did not include Elephants.

Copy of an official letter putting an end to our very own ‘Elephant Festival’

All children are god’s little angels irrespective of caste, color, creed and are blessed with the ability to bring joy all around them. F-Salon, as we all know, is an ultra-glamorous, cutting edge hair & makeup salon with its teams of experts. So what is the connection between the two? A wonderful initiative called ‘Foster Smiles’ by F-Salon in collaboration with Jaipur-based NGO, Naya Sawera to bring a little bit of magic in the lives of specially challenged & underprivileged kids by giving them ultra-cool makeovers.

While the right to education, healthy food, safe shelter and the basics still remains a tremendously important concern for these that this NGO is continuously working hard to provide, one had to see what on its onset seemed like ‘just ‘a fun idea for the children quickly transformed into an empowering one. We often forget, of all the things we can give these children, the ability to hope, believe and dream is unmatched & priceless.

As we walked into the salon, we found a bunch of shy, well-behaved kids quietly sipping their juice packets, huddled together looking a little perplexed with the glass façade, shiny lights & people all around them. One child wondered about too much electricity, the other about the tall buildings and the third was just glad to have had an off day from school. With owners Dushyant and Praanjal instantly connecting and cracking jokes with the kids, soon all we could hear was laughter and excitement.

At ease now, the kids loved sitting in front of the large luxurious mirrors at the F-Salon all set for their makeover. They all gingerly marched to the hair washing stations and were given a head wash all set for their new stylish haircuts. You would think these kids would be clueless about style but they all had their list of preferences and famous movie stars etched in their heads & hearts.

With curling, crimping, razor cuts, highlights, nail art, grooming sessions and blow-dryers blowing away at the salon, the kids were in the some of the best hands in the industry. The whole place was packed with heavy action.

One of the defining moments of the entire event was seeing how with every snip of the scissor, the kids transformed. From being shy to happy and then confident. In a matter of minutes, one could see the change which was though only in the outer appearance but managed to bring out the light of confidence from somewhere deep within these kids. It was as if they shed an outer layer of shyness, with bright shiny eyes and a smile on their faces courtesy the experts at F-salon, they looked super confident of themselves, their tomorrow and a quiet belief in their own power.

In the end, who gave back whom became blurred but every face in the room be it the children, the staff at the F-Salon and others were beaming with happiness and large generous smiles. More power to you kids, we say.

We have been reading and watching hundreds of videos and articles about Women’s Day since a few days and even more since today morning. Some of them are exceptional, some average and some very heart-warming. All has been said, done and explained, hence, here we are talking about small things we as women can do and tiny changes we can make in everyday life to keep ourselves safer, equal and relish the unmatchable liberating feeling freedom every moment of life.

1.) Self-Defence If you think that you are that Hindi film actress who will get into trouble and wait for her knight in shining armor to protect her from the goons, you are wrong. No one except you can protect you. So put aside everything, and take that class. There are numerous self-defence, Martial Arts, Karate classes in Jaipur which you might not even be aware about or have just been pushing it for another day. UrbanPro.com, Global Institute Of Self Defence & Martial Arts, Centre for Capoeira are a few examples of self-defense classes in pink city. Get up and learn to fight for yourself.

2.) Chuck the fairy tales – Read the real ones ICYMI, East India Comedy recently came out with a video ‘Fairy Fails’ and it’s on the point. Fairy tales are beautiful and dreamy to listen/read to a child, but they come with a heavy cost. All the women power and equality that a girl talks about, is peripheral as deep inside she might feel as the same tiny little princess who is awaiting her ‘Prince Charming’ to rescue her. Change the tales. Read out the tales of women who made it big – like Maharani Gayatri Devi, Jodha Bai who broke the conventions and went on to shine on their own.

3.) Let go of the fear of travelling late at nights – Thanks to the special cabs & autos. We know that half of your life is judged by the time at which you get back home. But there is no need to fear if you are alert and a little bit smart in choosing your conveyance. Before entering an auto, check if it has a women’s helpline number and if you want to travel by cab, prefer a Woman’s Cab service like Sakha Cabs in Jaipur and always keep a pepper spray handy.

4.) Give that bus/train seat to a needier man One thing is for sure, if you want equality, you have to let go of a lot of privileges that you enjoy as a woman. One of them is to have that special seat on a train or bus even when there is perhaps a tired school boy, a man with his child in hand or an old man standing right in front of you. Give up that seat. It’s going to be one step closer to achieving gender equality.

5.) Don’t let the small town mindset drag you down If you look carefully at the right set of people, you will see your lovely pink city blooming with examples of women excelling in diverse genres and some of them are bolder than others. The female police of the city, women cab drivers, Apurvi Chandela, Chhavi Rajawat and a lot many examples prove that if you have it in you, nothing can stop you from reaching the sky.

It is International Women’s Day and women across the world are getting pampered and they definitely love it too. Jaipur has never failed to pamper its women and that is the reason why women of Jaipur have so much to celebrate today. 🙂 Right from food to drinks, from shopping to salon services, everything is coming with discounts and exciting offers for women. If you too are planning to go out and celebrate this day with your besties then here is a list of places that you should check out before making plans.

1.) Forresta Kitchen & Bar – One of the most famous hangouts of Jaipurites, Forresta, has something amazing in store for its female guests today. Women visiting the restaurant will get a 20% discount on their order along with a welcome drink. So enjoy a good evening at a discounted price. 🙂

2.) The Lalit – One of the finest luxury hotels in Jaipur, The Lalit has also come up with some generous Women’s Day discounts. All female guests at the hotel will get a 15% discount at all their F&B outlets (24/7 Multi-cuisine All Day Dining, Baluchi – A Pan Indian Destination, The Circle Bar & Le Petit Café). Not only this, they will also have lucky draws with many surprises for their female guests. The offers don’t even end here, the Circle Bar offer all the beauties a 25% discount on IMFL drinks ordered during 6:00pm – 8:00pm and ladies will also get 15% discount on Spa & Salon at Rejuve – The Spa. 🙂 Make sure to book your seats in advance to enjoy all the offers.

3.) O Womaniya – The events in Jaipur, on international women’s day are not only about food, drinks and offers. Jaipur is also host to events that look forward to bringing about a positive change in women’s lives. O Womaniya is one such event that will be hosted at Jawahar Kala Kendra and feature activities and session pertaining to women development.

4.) Meena Bazaar – Not that women want to share their ages but given such an amazing opportunity, saying no wouldn’t be possible. Meena Bazaar, located at World Trade Park, has come up with an amazing scheme to give women discounts worth half their age. Women are simply required to carry an age proof with them and enjoy their respective discounts.

5.) Chippa – When it comes to our fashion choices, block prints are favored by all women in Jaipur and when we talk about hand block prints the first name that pops in our heads is Chhipa. On this women’s Day, this most favored hand block print brand, has come up with 50% discount for all women. This is your chance to buy your favorite designs at amazingly generous prices. 🙂

If the dapper looks of Kangana Ranaut on her Instagram and fusion style of Shraddha Kapoor in ‘Ok Jaanu’ impresses you, you have all the reason to walk into the new Max Fashion store opened yesterday at Pink Square and Triton Mall. Beaming with zippy colors, varied styles and an irresistibly upbeat atmosphere, the new Max Fashion store pulls you in and within minutes, you find yourself completely submerged in its breezy collection.

Spanning over 12,166 sq.feet & 11,000 sq.feet across Pink Square mall and Triton Mall respectively, this visual spectacle was inaugurated by popular Television actress and Balika Vadhu fame – Smita Bansal who hails from the pink city. Max – the king of Middle East opened in India in 2006 and has been a famous name among those who have an eccentric taste in dressing up and aren’t into overpriced shopping experiences.

Summer Vibes

The new spring collection unveiled at the event surely justifies the tagline of Max ‘Look Good. Feel Good.’ !! The range livelier than the warmth of sunshine on a cold day, unfolds a bold collection with silhouettes such as long cotton kurtas, indigo dyed fabrics with detailed embroidered designs, crisp cotton volume cold shoulder, light weight Georgette, soft fabrics, long ethnic shirts that you can pair with traditional jhumkis and rock the modern desi girl look like a boss 😉

Also, it’s not a woman’s world out there ! Midst the classy formal shirts with half folded sleeves, there are some free-spirited picks from their breezy Denim collection which are yearning to be hanging in a travel loving man’s wardrobe. Inspired by holiday resorts and beach vacations, some t-shirts ooze a feeling of leisure and some of adventure with jazzy graphics, surfer icons, beach life quotes for a relaxing summer getaway 😀

For the Desi shoppers

If you’re a Desi boy or a Desi girl who doesn’t shy away from experimenting with two extreme looks viz. hard core Indian and all-out Western, you have here a world of choice. A long white kurta with a mirror worked Jodhpuri blue jacket is all you need to pull off a desi yet urban look when you are heading for work, a get-together or a simple day function at home. Apart from kurtas with exquisite prints, there is also a special Rajasthani collection which encompasses the favorite hues of Rajasthan with the most gorgeous details of embroidery enthused by intricate jaali work often seen on windows of historic forts in Rajasthan.

Accessories

Bags, jewellery, wallets, statement pieces, and the best of all – Scarves, the accessory collection at Max is a living paradise for someone who prefers to pep their old look with accessories rather than always choosing to buy a new outfit altogether. Scarves are present in all types of colors, styles, prints with the little colorful pom poms to cheer you up on a boring day at work or college.

A Child’s playworld !

Bringing along your kid with you ? You need not be concerned about him/her getting bored when you shop as you will find them delving in the vast array of fun floral blends. With slub jerseys, pink floral little shoes, small funky sneakers, cartoon character tees, underwater creature prints and fruity appliques, Max opens a fun world for all the kids out there to come here and take a ride in an unforgettable cruise 😀

March, the month of colors is here and Jaipur, the pink city, is ready to color itself in myriad colors. 🙂 Along with the most playful festival of Holi, the month is also going to bring with it many vibrant events that will for sure add to charm of March. Let’s see what the month has in store for us.

1.) Latlong Jaipur – Now, here we have some news! The singing sensations of the country, whose music has made a huge buzz in Bollywood, Mika Singh and Badshah, will soon be in Jaipur to perform for us. The event titled Latlong Jaipur, presented by Emars Events will be held on 7th March at Pink City Garden & Resort. Adding to glamour and skills of these singers we will also have world famous DJ Chetas performing for denizens of Pink City at the event.

Date: 7th March

Venue: Pink City Garden & Resort

2.) Max Fashions Store Launch – Now all the fashion forward people of Jaipur are definitely going to love the first event of this month that is the launch of Max Fashions, two new stores in the city. The retail chain already has one at MGF Mall and most of us are their regular buyers. With the launch of its new stores at our favorite malls, Pink Square & Triton, we believe that Max is giving us the love back that it has received from the citizens of Jaipur.

Date: 1st march

Venue: Pink Square & Triton Mall

3.) Baithak – If you want to dive back into your beautiful childhood memories of storytelling by your grandmothers, then this is the place to be. Storytelling is a very old art and this art is coming back to Jaipur with Asif Khan Dehlvi, bringing along the stories of love and war, defeat and triumph and above all stories of an era that we can only imagine.

Date: 4th March

Venue: Royal heritage Haveli, Jaipur

4.) Color play – Since this is the month of Holi, it requires some shopping for the festival too. Color play presented by Anantaya is definitely a great place to do so. It is a Holi edit, which will have everything you need to shop for this festival, be it traditional saris with edgy graphics or natural flower Gulals.

Date: 5th March

Venue: AnanTaya

5.) The Trainers Camp – Growing up definitely means learning something new, every day. Here’s your chance to learn. The Trainers Camp, after holding many, one day, camps across the country is now coming up in Jaipur and will now hold the 19th Learner’s camp in our city. The trainer’s camp is the fastest growing training professional’s network in the country. For sure it is a great opportunity for professionals of the city to build a network.

Date: 5th March

Venue: Jaipur

6.) Kitty Su Pop Up – The party hunters of Jaipur are definitely going to love this one. After a successful event on Christmas, Kitty Su is again coming back to Jaipur at The Lalit. This time around featuring DJ Shadow from Dubai, who is famous for his popular, remixes of songs by Jay Sean, Honey Singh and Jazzy B. Looks like you are in for a treat. 🙂

Date: 11th March

Venue: The Lalit, Jaipur

Save the date and prepare yourself to Shop, Dance, Learn & Get Entertained.